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Orphan Black

by Mona Rocha

If you have not yet watched Orphan Black, you really, really should. Really. No, really. It is a fantastic TV show: gripping story line, intensity all over the place, and the characters are fantastic—just when you think you hate one, you figure out you actually love her. Tatiana Maslany is absolutely amazing in every character she plays on the show (spoiler alert, she plays more than one character…Well, shoot, I should have alerted you first, but I assume everyone who’s anyone already knew that. Hmmm… Actually, if you haven’t watched Orphan Black, go do that now, you can read this post later. Don’t worry, I’ll wait here while you watch the first three seasons).

Glad you are back! As for me, I’ve just binged watched season 3, and it is a doozy. Every scene is intense (I can’t watch them when they come on during the live episodes because I just can’t handle waiting a week for the next one). And the ending! I mean, come on, how am I gonna make it to next season without knowing what happened to Delphine? (for theories, read some from the Clone Club here). After wiping away sentimental tears over the celebratory dinner scene in the season finale – with everyone happy for once! Yeay! – I had to wipe more tears away over that parking garage scene.

Anyways, enough gushing (although, can there really be enough when it comes to Orphan Black?) and let me get to the point. I see Orphan Black as television heading in the right direction, in terms of its positive and matter of fact representations of various identity types: not just straight, but also gay (Fee), lesbian (Cosima), and trans (Tony). Non-heteronormativity is not shunned on this show – rather, the opposite is true and everyone is included and can be their authentic self. This kind of representation and inclusion matters, because people in the real world are often times insensitive bigots and make life hard for those who don’t fit the heteronormative mold. I am still touched when I remember last Comic Con when a gay fan explained to the panel that Cosima helped him come out and rebuild his relationship with his mother. We were all in tears when he claimed the show “is saving lives” in helping people who are struggling with their sexuality (read about the story here). Orphan Black has the power to change society for the better by simply doing the right thing in the first place, by being inclusive.

Orphan Black is strongly feminist, not just because of this inclusive stance, but also because so much of the action involves strong female characters who save themselves or work together to save each other. Yes, the clones are always in some horrible situation, but they always find their way out through Sestra-Power. They call each other “sister” as they are there to hold one another up as they fight against whatever stands against them in a given episode. The clones are the embodiment of sisterhood that second wave feminists made into their slogan: “Sisterhood is powerful.” Indeed, sestrahood is powerful on Orphan Black.

Orphan Black showcases tons of strong women: Sarah Manning (played by Tatiana Maslany) is the original bad girl, who’s grown up and found inner strength and determination to keep her family safe (Kira and her sisters, the clones). Mrs. S is as tough as tough can be, sacrificing to raise Sarah and Felix, and then picking up a gun to keep Kira and the clones safe. Helena (also played by Tatiana Maslany)…Helena is simply amazing. She got that refund for Donnie, didn’t she? She escaped from the Castor compound, remember that one? I’ll never look at butter again the same way again…You just don’t mess with Helena. She eats scorpions for lunch.

The women of Orphan Black are strong, intelligent, and compassionate. Cosima (also played by Tatiana Maslany) and Delphine are gifted scientists –Orphan Black depicts women excelling at science, and this representation is a great reminder to little girls considering STEM fields in real life (something else that came out from the audience at last year’s Comic Con panel). Rachel (also played by Tatiana Maslany), the “uber bitch,” is the head of a major corporation. She’s a manipulative, cunning businesswoman who’s not afraid to do whatever is needed to achieve her ends.

Basically, what I’m saying is that the roles these women inhabit are actively modeling a different type of womanhood than the one we’re used to on TV. They’re not reproducing the same old tropes of gender conforming females who are happy to be subordinate or are just relegated to the kitchen. Instead, these women are powerful, active, autonomous beings – they’re multi layered and complicated. Think of Allison (also played by Tatiana Maslany): she might enjoy cooking or being a soccer mom, but she’s also running a drug business, while, at the same time, she’s running for a seat on the school board and, occasionally, burying bodies in the garage.

Orphan Black is more than just a fascinating sci fi show. It is a medium through which feminist principles are embodied on the screen, and an example to what we should all aspire to be: inclusive, collaborative, loyal, brave, on a quest for justice and truth, and agents of positive change in the world.

So, I only have positive things to say about this wonderful show, except for one complaint. HOW HAS TATIANA MASLANY NOT WON AN EMMY?

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Orphan Black

by Mona Rocha

If you have not yet watched Orphan Black, you really, really should. Really. No, really. It is a fantastic TV show: gripping story line, intensity all over the place, and the characters are fantastic—just when you think you hate one, you figure out you actually love her. Tatiana Maslany is absolutely amazing in every character she plays on the show (spoiler alert, she plays more than one character…Well, shoot, I should have alerted you first, but I assume everyone who’s anyone already knew that. Hmmm… Actually, if you haven’t watched Orphan Black, go do that now, you can read this post later. Don’t worry, I’ll wait here while you watch the first three seasons).